OLG champions sustainable gambling concept

OLG is working to reduce problem gambling

Sustainability has become a hallmark of a successful business, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is striving to apply this concept to its business model. OLG is working to reduce problem gambling while expanding its customer base to include a broader range of players who gamble regularly, but responsibly.

“With the modernization of lottery and gaming, there’s a strong overlap with responsible gambling,” says Paul Pellizzari, Director of Policy and Social Responsibility with OLG.

“We’re not interested in attracting a narrow base of players who spend too much money and have the potential of getting themselves into trouble. We’re looking to develop a broad base of players who can gamble in a healthy and moderate way over the course of their lives.”

Future support for game design will help to promote those goals. OLG is building a data analytics program, for example, that will analyze player behaviour.

Data from loyalty cards can help provide insights into player behaviour by tracking changes in gambling behaviour over time.

Using such a program will allow OLG to provide players with feedback on their gambling in a casino environment.

“On a slot machine of the future, for example, we will place time and money limits on play, feature a clock on the game screen and send direct messages to the player to remind them how much money they’ve spent or suggest it might be time to take a break,” says Mr. Pellizzari.

Mr. Pellizzari notes that the analytics tools don’t diagnose problem gambling—they simply identify behaviours that may be consistent with the early signs of problem gambling, before they become a problem.

“We seek to implement helpful methods that real-life research shows will habitualize safe play habits and help us maximize a sustainable gambling model,” he says.